Kids In The Kitchen: Evan's Blueberry Mini Muffins

Evan wanted to bake blueberry muffins recently because "blueberries are his favorite".

Muffins are easy for beginning bakers and kids since you don't need any mixers or fancy techniques. You just need a bowl for the dry team and one for the wet team. Then you mix the two together. Well, why don't I let Evan show you how to do it....

I am letting Evan do more and more in the kitchen all by himself and I still have that cringe moment when he's pouring the wet ingredients into the bowl. I have to force myself to stay quiet and know that it's not a big deal if it spills. He gains so much more from learning to do it himself, mistakes included, then he would get if I insisted on helping to prevent a mess. Learning is messy. That's okay.

Evan used a cookie scoop to fill the muffin pan. He loved that thing.

He took this job really seriously and hardly looked up from his job. I let him do it all by himself but helped even out some of the muffins just before baking (with his help) so they'd bake evenly.
These cute little muffins are delicious and were quite a hit with the blueberry lovin' crowd around here.

Evan's Blueberry Mini Muffins

1 cup flour (we used whole wheat pastry flour)

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2/3 cup vanilla yogurt (If you use plain yogurt, increase sugar to 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup oil (I use olive oil)

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen that has mostly thawed)

Preheat oven to 375*

Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in a small bowl. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients along with the blueberries. Stir only until just combined. Scoop into greased or lined mini muffin pan. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Makes about 24 mini muffins

**You can make these into regular muffins by using a standard muffin pan and increasing the cooking time to 20-22 minutes.

Of Snow, Ballet, and Produce

Here's a mixed bag of some of the things we've been up to the past few weeks. A few weeks ago we got some snow. In North Carolina, we know the snow melts often as soon as the sun hits it so I took the kids out at 8am to play.

I roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon in the oven. It was pretty good other then it being too salty. I forgot about bacon being salty and had too heavy a hand with the additional salt. The kids were not huge fans but did choke down their required few bites.

Evan helped me pull some carrots that had overwintered in the garden. I still have one bed left to pull before I can start planting for spring. I better get my rear in gear!

The kids have started a Park and Rec. beginner ballet class. I love Park and Rec. classes because they're fun without the pressure and intensity of a dance studio. I'm not looking to make my children into professional dancers (unless they decide they want to). I just want them to have fun and learn something new. I also love that the class is on Saturday mornings so it doesn't add stress to our weeknights.

Evan loves the parts where they leap and skip across the floor. Charlotte concentrates very hard and tries to look just like the teacher.

This was Evan's favorite part.

Charlotte loved learning the feet positions.

I would have taken them to another class this past Saturday but I locked us out of the house on our way to class. An hour later and $45 to a locksmith, we went for ice cream instead (to ease the disappointment of missing class). The following day, Evan asked me if I had my keys with me before I locked the door. He clapped for me when I said I did. He's supportive that way.

Tomato, Lentil, and Sausage Stew

It must be the lingering chilly weather that has me in a stew mood. Nothing like a hot bowl of stew and a piece of bread to warm you up. I loved this stew. I'm a big fan of lentils and kale, Jon's a huge fan of kielbasa, and the kids love carrots. A little something for everyone.


Tomato, Lentil, and Sausage Stew

2 or more quarts of chicken broth (depending on how thick you want it and how much liquid the lentils absorb.
4 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1- 1 1/2 cups of dried lentils, depending on how much you like them
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 can (6oz) tomato paste
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 pound kielbasa, sliced
kale, as much as you like, washed and sliced
olive oil

In a large soup pot, brown the kielbasa in a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Once the kielbasa is browned on all sides, remove it from the pan and set aside for later. Add another tablespoon or two of olive oil and add the onions and carrots. Saute until the onions are translucent. Add chicken broth, lentils and brown sugar to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Stir in tomato paste, vinegar, kielbasa, and kale. Simmer for another 10 minutes to let the kale cook. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves: a whole lot! Share this with a friend or neighbor if your family doesn't like leftovers.

Our Favorite Chicken Soup

This simple chicken soup is comforting, inexpensive, and it's our favorite. The kids love it. Add a piece of homemade bread with butter on the side and you're in heaven. I make it every other week or so and anytime someone gets a cold.


Our Favorite Chicken Soup

1 whole chicken
1 onion
2 stalks of celery
2 carrots

But the above ingredients in a large crockpot and fill with water until 1 inch below the rim. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Remove the chicken and dice into chunks. If you end up with more meat then you need for the soup, save it for another recipe or chicken salad. Discard the veggies and strain and save the broth (I don't skim the fat from the broth).

3 stalks of celery, large dice
5-6 carrots, large dice
olive oil
2-3 cups of cooked chicken
reserved broth
salt and pepper to taste
frozen peas

In a large soup pot, saute carrots and celery in a bit of olive oil and the chicken fat that has risen to the top of the broth. Saute until are tender but still firm. Add chicken, chicken broth, and frozen peas. Bring to a simmer and add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer just until the peas have been heated through. Serve and enjoy!

My Sleepy Boy

It's rare that Evan falls asleep during naptime anymore. He usually just plays quietly in his room. One day last weekend he fell asleep, hard. I woke him up at 3:00 and carried him out to the big couch to snuggle. He fell right back to sleep.

It's not often I get to hold my boy for this long because he's so busy. I loved every minute of it.

Lip Balm Giveaway From Purl & June!

My sister, Katie, is having a handmade, natural lip balm giveaway! She's just introduced a new line of lip balm on her Etsy shop, Purl and June. Go to Katie's blog, Katiegirl and leave a comment to enter to win a tube!

Steel-Cut Oat Crackers

These hearty crackers are perfect for heavy dips. They're sturdy but have a great, lightly oat flavor. The kids weren't crazy about them since they're not light and flaky but I think they're great. Bring on the hummus!
Sure, homemade crackers are more work then storebought but I don't think you'll ever find steel-cut oats on a Keebler ingredient list. I just make a double batch and then I only have to take the time half as often.
Steel-cut Oat Crackers (from the King Arthur Whole Grain Cookbook)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup whole barley flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. butter or coconut oil
1/2 cup cooked steel-cut oats
4-6 Tbsp. water

Preheat oven to 350*

To make the cracker dough:
(This can also be done quickly in a food processor)
Combine flours with the baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter as you would for a piecrust, mixing until the mixture is crumbly. Next cut in the cooked oats and mix until they're well distributed. Begin adding the water, mixing until the dough begins to hold together. You may need more or less water, depending on the density of your oat porridge. Gather and squeeze the dough into a ball, and divide it in half. Cover the half you're not using with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.

To shape the crackers:
Roll half the dough into a rectangle 1/16-inch thick. Use a baker's bench knife, a sharp knife, a pizza wheel, or a square cookie cutter to cut the dough into 2" squares. Transfer the squares to a lightly greased or parchment lined cookie sheets, placing them close together since they will not spread. Repeat with the remaining dough. You may reroll scraps to make another sheet.

To bake the crackers:
As soon as you've filled a sheet with crackers, begin baking them. These crackers brown more evenly if you bake them one sheet at a time. Bake until they're deep, golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove the crackers from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.